78 



ROEDING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



deep green, ruffled foliage. The improved types are as 

 large as, or even larger in some instances than, a ban- 

 tam egg. The trees have been planted in a limited way 

 commercially. As they eventually attain a height of 

 twenty feet and have quite a spread they should never 

 be planted in- orchard form closer than twenty-four 

 feet. The fruit should be allowed to ripen on the trees 

 until it attains an orange-yellow color. If carefully 

 handled it may be packed in strawberry or grape 

 baskets and will carry a considerable distance when 

 shipped by express. Outside of its value as an attractive 

 and delicious table fruit it is made into jams, jellies 

 and preserves. The pruning should be confined first of 

 all to starting the branches about twenty-four inches 

 from the ground. Outside of thinning the branches 

 which may be overlapping or crowding it will take care 

 of itself. 



VARIETIES TO GROW 

 Advance, Champagne, Early Red, Premier. 



THE BANANA 



The only satisfaction that can be derived from growing 

 the banana in California is based on the fact that this 

 distinctly tropical plant can be grown and does produce 

 very palatable fruits in very much favored sections in 

 some of the southern counties of the state. It is a 

 definite demonstration of how closely this climate 

 approaches that of the tropics without having the 

 enervating effect of that climate. The banana is grown 

 from suckers. An abundance of water and fertilizer, 

 consisting of rubbish, which should be spaded in around 

 the plant, will promote a rapid and luxuriant growth. 

 A sucker will invariably produce a bunch of bananas 

 within twelve to eighteen months after it is planted. 

 The bunch should be picked just as soon as the fruits 

 have attained their size and while still green. By stor- 

 ing in a dark room, if the weather is warm, the fruit 

 soon matures and it is ready for the table. If the 

 weather is cold, when the bananas are handled com- 

 mercially, it is necessary to store them in an artifically- 

 heated room. 



VARIETIES 



Cavendishii, Orientum or Hart's Choice, Sapientum 

 or Orinoco. 



THE JUJUBE 



The jujube (Zizyphus jujuba) has been growing in 

 California for a number of years, having been introduced 

 by G. P. Rixford in 1876, at that time a member of 

 the staff of the San Francisco Bulletin, but now 

 Physiologist of the Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture. The oldest trees are said 

 to be growing in Sonoma valley. Isolated specimens are 

 to be found growing in both the Sacramento and the 

 San Joaquin valleys. The climatic conditions of the 

 interior valleys seem to be particularly favorable to 

 its rapid growth. It is very extensively grown in north- 

 ern China, where hundreds of varieties, it has been said, 

 have been developed. It grows in the driest of loca- 

 tions and is very resistant to alkali. Many new and 



This picture was not taken in the tropics but on the 



property of Wm. Plotts, near Whittier, Los Angeles 



County, in the month of December. Bananas are part 



of the family diet the year round. 



valuable varieties have been introduced by the Office 

 of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, and if eventually 

 this becomes an industry of any importance in Cali- 

 fornia, we will owe a debt of gratitude to this great de- 

 partment of our National Government which has ac- 

 complished more in behalf of the agricultural and horti- 

 cultural interests of the United States than any other 

 institution of like character in the world. Many of 

 these new varieties of jujube are now being experi- 

 mented with at the Plant Introduction Garden near 

 Chico, California. Some sorts are eaten fresh, while 

 others are dried. The largest varieties are processed 

 by boiling in sugar and honey. They make most desir- 

 able sweetmeats when so processed and are even more 

 delicious than the Persian dates of commerce. The 



